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Crappy Experience
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Last: 1 yr ago by Fly Army 97
Take responsibility for your own actions and decisions, and take some responsibility for the direction of your career. You chose your MOS. You chose to miss drill, presumably without making it up in advance or trying to make arrangements with your FRNCO about your absence. That's on you. So is what happens to you going forward.
I enlisted in the Guard when I was in college instead of commissioning, chose a crappy MOS because I could finish AIT quickly and not miss much school, lost my SLRP because my recruiter erroneously enlisted me for it, and ended up on a ****ty deployment with a trans company that treated everyone who came in as a filler like second class garbage. I was bitter, but instead of staying that way, I transferred units, changed my MOS, and applied for an AGR position. During my time on AGR, I spent time in good units and crappy ones. I enjoyed the good ones, tried to improve the crappy ones, and looked for career opportunities that would fulfill me. Now, after almost 25 years (20 of them on active duty) I'm the First Sergeant for one of the most exciting and challenging units in the NG. I'll probably be starting the retirement process in the next few months, and I'm so grateful that I took charge of my own career and made my own path instead of being bitter about the start that my career had.
If you want to get out, then get out. No one can make that decision but you. But if you are still called to serve, then take charge of your career and serve. But don't be bitter about it. It won't do you any good.
I enlisted in the Guard when I was in college instead of commissioning, chose a crappy MOS because I could finish AIT quickly and not miss much school, lost my SLRP because my recruiter erroneously enlisted me for it, and ended up on a ****ty deployment with a trans company that treated everyone who came in as a filler like second class garbage. I was bitter, but instead of staying that way, I transferred units, changed my MOS, and applied for an AGR position. During my time on AGR, I spent time in good units and crappy ones. I enjoyed the good ones, tried to improve the crappy ones, and looked for career opportunities that would fulfill me. Now, after almost 25 years (20 of them on active duty) I'm the First Sergeant for one of the most exciting and challenging units in the NG. I'll probably be starting the retirement process in the next few months, and I'm so grateful that I took charge of my own career and made my own path instead of being bitter about the start that my career had.
If you want to get out, then get out. No one can make that decision but you. But if you are still called to serve, then take charge of your career and serve. But don't be bitter about it. It won't do you any good.
How long did you enlist for? If you're on year 5 did you re-enlist? If so that's on you big fella.
You stuck in a guard unit with a bad MOS?
Don't beat yourself up over it.
Try to stay positive, ride it out as best you can and get tf out when you can.
Don't get drug into the mud.
Don't beat yourself up over it.
Try to stay positive, ride it out as best you can and get tf out when you can.
Don't get drug into the mud.
Step 1 - Paragraphs - You'd be amazed what improving your written communication will do for your career.
Step 2 - Transfer to a Combat Arms MOS - immediately.
Step 3 - Be All You Can Be!
(Example - when I got outsourced from the Walt Disney Company, you'd be amazed at how many people were more concerned about losing their Silver Pass to Disneyland than they were about the fact that they were losing their job)
In the Guard, it's easy to not do your job because everybody has their regular lives that they're taking a break from to participate in this unit every 28 days. And a lot of guys drive long distances to drill so people are already tired or burned out when they arrive for drill. But, a lot of guys still manage to get "up" for spending a day and a half doing their job before it's time to clean up and go home.
With the right leadership and attitude, it is possible to turn around a crappy unit. Hopefully your leadership will get struck by a bolt of lightning and start doing their jobs. Maybe your enthusiasm for wanting to do your job and learn from your NCOs and Officers will help inspire them.
Good Luck!
Step 2 - Transfer to a Combat Arms MOS - immediately.
Step 3 - Be All You Can Be!
- Even if you're in a crappy unit, there's no way that 100% of the soldiers / NCOs / Officers are crappy. Find the 10% who are squared away, or used to be squared away (like the former 18 Series guy who is in the Guard now because he got a DWI on Active Duty) and learn everything you can learn from them.
- La Guarda Nacional will offer you training but just like personal fitness for example, if you really want to become good at it, you're going to have to take the lead. My Unit needed me to pass the PT Test with the minimum score, my career needed me to pass with a higher score.
- Sometimes you can learn a lot by learning what NOT to do. Take good notes and figure out how things could be done better.
- Make suggestions to your chain of command, a lot of times you can make things happen by taking that load off your CoC's plate. With the right attitude and a little social coercion, I'll bet you can even get that grumpy old NCO with his AFG/Iraq combat patch on the right shoulder to help you improve the unit by tapping what they know or at the bare minimum, you can learn from them.
(Example - when I got outsourced from the Walt Disney Company, you'd be amazed at how many people were more concerned about losing their Silver Pass to Disneyland than they were about the fact that they were losing their job)
In the Guard, it's easy to not do your job because everybody has their regular lives that they're taking a break from to participate in this unit every 28 days. And a lot of guys drive long distances to drill so people are already tired or burned out when they arrive for drill. But, a lot of guys still manage to get "up" for spending a day and a half doing their job before it's time to clean up and go home.
With the right leadership and attitude, it is possible to turn around a crappy unit. Hopefully your leadership will get struck by a bolt of lightning and start doing their jobs. Maybe your enthusiasm for wanting to do your job and learn from your NCOs and Officers will help inspire them.
Good Luck!
This applies no matter what you do. I spent 20 active and no matter what the assignment you see crappy soldiers just getting by. Avoid them if they're your equals, motivate them if you're the boss. Hang with those who want to be there and volunteer for the tough jobs. But frankly, your attendance record is going to keep you in trouble no matter how valid you think your reasons are.HollywoodBQ said:
Step 1 - Paragraphs - You'd be amazed what improving your written communication will do for your career.
Step 2 - Transfer to a Combat Arms MOS - immediately.
Step 3 - Be All You Can Be!At any job there will always be a few people who are there just to collect a check. And there will always be the clock watchers and folks who are more preoccupied with the fringe benefits than they are with doing the job.
- Even if you're in a crappy unit, there's no way that 100% of the soldiers / NCOs / Officers are crappy. Find the 10% who are squared away, or used to be squared away (like the former 18 Series guy who is in the Guard now because he got a DWI on Active Duty) and learn everything you can learn from them.
- La Guarda Nacional will offer you training but just like personal fitness for example, if you really want to become good at it, you're going to have to take the lead. My Unit needed me to pass the PT Test with the minimum score, my career needed me to pass with a higher score.
- Sometimes you can learn a lot by learning what NOT to do. Take good notes and figure out how things could be done better.
- Make suggestions to your chain of command, a lot of times you can make things happen by taking that load off your CoC's plate. With the right attitude and a little social coercion, I'll bet you can even get that grumpy old NCO with his AFG/Iraq combat patch on the right shoulder to help you improve the unit by tapping what they know or at the bare minimum, you can learn from them.
(Example - when I got outsourced from the Walt Disney Company, you'd be amazed at how many people were more concerned about losing their Silver Pass to Disneyland than they were about the fact that they were losing their job)
In the Guard, it's easy to not do your job because everybody has their regular lives that they're taking a break from to participate in this unit every 28 days. And a lot of guys drive long distances to drill so people are already tired or burned out when they arrive for drill. But, a lot of guys still manage to get "up" for spending a day and a half doing their job before it's time to clean up and go home.
With the right leadership and attitude, it is possible to turn around a crappy unit. Hopefully your leadership will get struck by a bolt of lightning and start doing their jobs. Maybe your enthusiasm for wanting to do your job and learn from your NCOs and Officers will help inspire them.
Good Luck!
A bit of a disclaimer. I was Air Force active 11 years and reserve for a few more. And its been a while, so if I am way off on my acronyms please forgive me.TexMex12 said:
..... and have been threatened on three different occasions and was SA on this deployment.
Am I interpreting this correctly? You say you, "have been threatened on three different occasions and was SA on this deployment." In your post, are you saying SA = sexual assault? That is what I interpret SA to mean unless it means something else in a different branch.
If that is the case you need to get out of there ASAP. When I first started replying to this post, I was telling you not to be bitter because it's not healthy, and repeating a lot of the same sentiment the others wrote. It was easy to read over. My first thought was San Antonio, that may not be the case.
I hope I am wrong. If your definition of SA = the definition I wrote; then you need some help.
This is your first ever post on TexAgs. If you were assaulted then the game changes. All of us old timers have heard so much complaining that its easy for our thoughts to immediately go there. If that was the case, I am sure you may be a little disheartened coming here for help and not getting it.
If that's the case its because of the acronym, and people reading right past it. We can be snarky and tough on each other but we are not flat out cruel.
If I am completely wrong and SA means something else; then don't be bitter its not healthy. Do your job to the highest standard and serve with honor. One of the components of honor is serving and doing your job with excellence for the service and the country even if your local command does not inspire or even deserve it.
I really hope I am wrong. If not, please take the hard road and fight for yourself and bring it up the chain.
Didn't see the SA or deployment sentence before I wrote my response. It may have been added in via an edit later.
If SA does indeed mean sexual assault, then you need to report that up your chain of command immediately, or go to your UVA or SARC. There should be zero tolerance for that, and you should have been briefed multiple times on how to handle this situation. Throwing it in as an aside on an anonymous message board is NOT the answer. If you are uncomfortable with reporting it to either your UVA, SARC, or chain of command, then go to the next level of the chain. If that doesn't work, feel free to email me at my username at yahoo, and I will be more than happy to put you in touch with the appropriate asset at the State level, assuming you are in the TXARNG. I don't need or want to know your name or unit. Email me from a non-identifying civilian email and I will provide you a POC.
With regards to the rest of your situation, everything I said in my previous post still stands.
If SA does indeed mean sexual assault, then you need to report that up your chain of command immediately, or go to your UVA or SARC. There should be zero tolerance for that, and you should have been briefed multiple times on how to handle this situation. Throwing it in as an aside on an anonymous message board is NOT the answer. If you are uncomfortable with reporting it to either your UVA, SARC, or chain of command, then go to the next level of the chain. If that doesn't work, feel free to email me at my username at yahoo, and I will be more than happy to put you in touch with the appropriate asset at the State level, assuming you are in the TXARNG. I don't need or want to know your name or unit. Email me from a non-identifying civilian email and I will provide you a POC.
With regards to the rest of your situation, everything I said in my previous post still stands.
Yeah, looks like a significant re-write yet still no paragraphs.
This revision changes the situation dramatically.
This revision changes the situation dramatically.
maverick2076 & HollywoodBQ
The edit thing makes sense. I saw the post the other day and didn't have time to reply when I saw it. Then I was on TexAgs today and saw it again; however, I just glanced at it.
I was typing up my response in Word to paste in and re-read it again. That is when I noticed the SA. Then I was a bit confused because I had read all the replies. Between acronyms & abbreviations used by the different branches and trying to decipher text messages from my teens I was hoping it meant something other than sexual assault.
This post got to me a little bit. I walked away and thought about it for a bit. Being used in the sentence where it says they were threatened, made it seem like it really was sexual assault. Yet, my gut also told me something else was going on based on everyone's replies. I was thinking there is no way someone who is current First Sgt in the guard tell someone who said they were assaulted to take responsibility for their actions.
That made me assume that sentence with SA was skipped over. It is hard to read without paragraphs. Or SA meant something else.
I think most of us are on the same page not just about military service but also how you should act in a civilian job. You don't have to be in one place for life. You should however; honor your commitment, don't burn bridges, and do excellent work from the first day to the last day.
I also think we would all agree that those rules do not apply to someone who was assaulted. As I said in my initial post we can be snarky and I expect to be given some crap anytime I post on the Military Forum. We can be A holes to each other at times; but we are not flat out cruel.
I appreciate you both brining up the edits. I was really confused.
Maverick2076 your second response is honestly what I expected to see if tis is truly a cry for help by TexMex12. Someone sticking their neck out to make sure the right thing is done.
So TexMex12 if you were wronged, reach out to maverick2076. Someone is there for support.
The edit thing makes sense. I saw the post the other day and didn't have time to reply when I saw it. Then I was on TexAgs today and saw it again; however, I just glanced at it.
I was typing up my response in Word to paste in and re-read it again. That is when I noticed the SA. Then I was a bit confused because I had read all the replies. Between acronyms & abbreviations used by the different branches and trying to decipher text messages from my teens I was hoping it meant something other than sexual assault.
This post got to me a little bit. I walked away and thought about it for a bit. Being used in the sentence where it says they were threatened, made it seem like it really was sexual assault. Yet, my gut also told me something else was going on based on everyone's replies. I was thinking there is no way someone who is current First Sgt in the guard tell someone who said they were assaulted to take responsibility for their actions.
That made me assume that sentence with SA was skipped over. It is hard to read without paragraphs. Or SA meant something else.
I think most of us are on the same page not just about military service but also how you should act in a civilian job. You don't have to be in one place for life. You should however; honor your commitment, don't burn bridges, and do excellent work from the first day to the last day.
I also think we would all agree that those rules do not apply to someone who was assaulted. As I said in my initial post we can be snarky and I expect to be given some crap anytime I post on the Military Forum. We can be A holes to each other at times; but we are not flat out cruel.
I appreciate you both brining up the edits. I was really confused.
Maverick2076 your second response is honestly what I expected to see if tis is truly a cry for help by TexMex12. Someone sticking their neck out to make sure the right thing is done.
So TexMex12 if you were wronged, reach out to maverick2076. Someone is there for support.
I was just talking with an O-4 yesterday about this....
he was telling me an E-7 told an E-3 or E-4 that he cant park in a specific parking space because it was for patients (im in the med group) and the E-3/4 was like, I'll move it when everyone else (AD staff) moved their cars...directly disobeying an order...
There's no order anymore...the military is def not the miltary of yore...
he was telling me an E-7 told an E-3 or E-4 that he cant park in a specific parking space because it was for patients (im in the med group) and the E-3/4 was like, I'll move it when everyone else (AD staff) moved their cars...directly disobeying an order...
There's no order anymore...the military is def not the miltary of yore...
Parking priority in an open parking lot is disobeying a direct order? Oh goodness, the E7 needs to chill - especially if AGR/AD folks are also parking in the lot. They should make some mantra about NCO's not using their rank for personal gain. Maybe call it a creed?
It sounds to me like the E7 ran into a salty member of the E3/E4 mafia and got dished a serving of common sense. In days of yore that E3/E4 would have followed up those comments with the threat of an a** whoopin'. Especially if it was a grunt talking to a pogey. I'm many years removed, but have 2 e-man sons. Yes, a lot has changed, but the discipline, physical fitness, and order is very much there in the units that do the dirty work.
BigJim49 AustinNowDallas
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AG
paragraphs!TexMex12 said:
Did anyone else absolutely hate their experience in the military? I joined the guard after graduating college, but enlisted instead of commissioned.(first mistake) I chose the wrong MOS(2nd mistake) and was set up with a crappy home unit who took away my bonus and SLRP during 2021 due to missing a couple of drill weekends due to personal illness, as well as family funerals. Now deployed(3rd mistake) and have been threatened on three different occasions and was SA on this deployment. I know this sounds woe is me, and if so, then so be it, but I honestly haven't gained anything from my almost 5 years in, except depression, anger and anxiety. There seems to be no common courtesy or decency among the soldiers nowadays. Asking someone to turn down their music or put in headphones when in a room with 50 other people is somehow seen as wrong. The worst soldiers don't get disciplined for skipping out on work or for disrespecting leaders. People are able to do and say basically anything without fear of being punished. I'm doing bullcrap just to look busy when there is nothing to do, so my days are longer than they need to be. Am I crazy for wanting to get out of this sh*tty work environment, when I have an awesome civilian job with great benefits and great coworkers? I honestly don't feel proud to have served, and feel like I've wasted so much of my life for nothing.
BigJim49AustinnowDallas
If you were SA, please go see a SHARP or senior leader outside your organization. You''ll be surprised at the resources and care that some your way - privately if you want. You can also file a restricted report that keeps your name out of the dialogue, and/but some of the issues you discussed lead me to believe you cannot approach this through your own chain of command. There are SHARP resources outside your organization that I'm sure you heard about already. They work. I've commanded at BN and BDE for four years seeing this system work to protect victims.
That said, I've seen good and bad units have SA within their formations....the not-so good units let such a climate and culture fester....and may be part of your overall experience.
That said, I've seen good and bad units have SA within their formations....the not-so good units let such a climate and culture fester....and may be part of your overall experience.
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